Between The Crystals

Ch 46 Group Expansion

"How are you feeling this morning?" Grant asked me.

"I slept like a rock, but I feel fully rested." With a smirk, I added, "I'll take as many volunteers as you can throw at me, assuming none of them ask me to port a log back."

His gaze flickered behind me to where the oversized stick currently sat. It had taken close to forty men to wedge smaller logs under it to act like rollers, and even then, they had struggled to push it over to an empty area for the carvers.

"Let's avoid logs for a while," he said, shaking his head. "How about Whale Bone Plain? Should be lots of quail and small animals, and you'll be able to see any Saursunes well in advance."

I nodded. "Sure."

Nine of my eighteen hunters gathered around me.

"Whale Bone Plain."

The air hazed around us and cleared as we appeared on a small hill surrounded by knee-high grasses and plants that stretched as far as the eye could see. Several lean-to shelters had been constructed from massive whale bones that had been found in this location.

Four people waved at us. I waved back, noting that no porter was present. They must have dropped off one group and gone back for more people. I wasn't the only person transporting more than one group, not that such a development surprised me. I wracked my brain for other locations.

"Are you brave enough to try Orange Tree Valley again?"

The hunters looked at each other; most shrugged to indicate their indifference.

"Let's not push our luck," one said. "What about Pine Hills?"

"That's not too far from a field, but if you're fine with that, we can try." When no one said anything, I shrugged. "Let's give it a shot. Pine Hills."

The world blurred momentarily, then revealed sparse pine trees and other conifers growing out of thin, rocky soil. No people were present, although I hadn't expected to find anyone here, not with what looked like a field of half-grown beans in the distance. Their brighter green stood out among the darker greens and dusty browns that dominated the landscape. This location looked relatively untouched, and I could see various edible plants from where I stood.

"No one go in that direction," Cruz said firmly as he frowned at the field.

The rest nodded and looked around as they got their bearings. I ported back to the village. As I had expected, Grant stood nearby.

What I did not expect were his first words to me. "Can you take two more groups?"

I blinked, not sure I heard him correctly. "Two groups?"

His lip quirked up. "You asked for volunteers and several people overheard you. They pointed out that if you could port that heavy-ass log, you could take a dozen former gatherers and hunters."

Twelve older people had gathered beside him, with my second group of nine not far away. I thought quickly. I wasn't about to turn anyone away, not even the old hunter who had trouble walking after breaking his leg a decade ago. His vigilance would be an asset, even if he just gathered greens or pine needles for fancy baskets.

Reality set in, and I hesitated. "Uh, probably. But if trouble shows up, there's no way I can bounce thirty people to safety." Having said that, I was pretty sure I could bounce three groups of ten very quickly, but that was a recent change I wasn't ready to admit in front of so many people.

If something happened, we could lose thirty people—over a tenth of our population. Admittedly, they weren't people in their prime, but it would still be a considerable loss. Never before had a porter transported so many people for foraging.